Six weeks of manicure experimentation have left me with the conclusion that “the old ways are the best ways.”
Original method: OPI base coat, two coats of OPI color, OPI top coat. Used to last me almost two full weeks. Fully removes in about ten minutes using any kind of nail polish remover.
First experiment: Creative Nail Designs’ “Shellac” products – base, two color coats, and top coat, UV treated. Lasted me a little over a week because I started peeling them off when they started growing out.
Second experiment: Same Shellac process with a different color. Lasted me a little over a week because I started peeling them off when they started growing out.
They say that if you keep repeating something with the expectation that it will turn out differently this time, it’s a sign of insanity. Well, I’m not insane, so I stopped using the Shellac. At this point I’d considered my experiments to be done. I did the turquoise manicure (which you can vaguely see in the turquoise/chartreuse glove photo) using the Original Method. This lasted less than two full weeks even though all three bottles were new product.
Third experiment: Topped one of those nails with a Shellac top coat and treated under UV light. This extended the turquoise on this nail for at least another week. A good sign, I thought.
Yesterday I removed all the turquoise nail polish from all my nails. The one with the Shellac on it took about six minutes of soaking in acetone nail polish remover. Well, six minutes, no big deal, I read a book while my finger soaked.
Fourth experiment (last night): Did a full Original Method manicure on my left hand, then when dry, topped them all with Shellac top coat and treated under UV light. I really thought this was going to be a winning procedure! But the color I’d chosen looked bad – it was an old gold nail polish that appeared like molten gold in the bottle, but on the nail it was trailer trash glittery – so in frustration I decided to strip all the nails and leave them bare until just before we leave for vacation.
What I had failed to consider (when topping the Original manicure with Shellac) is that EACH NAIL takes six minutes, or more, to remove! Luckily I had only done one hand, but even so, it was more than half an hour later when I was finally able to put the lid on the remover and wash my hands.
Conclusion: Shellac just is not worth it. I’d rather re-manicure every week than get two weeks’ wear out of a Shellac manicure and then spend 60 minutes to remove it. Bleah.
Corollary: I have a bottle of Shellac top coat, one bottle of base coat, and four colors, if anyone wants them! But you do need a 36-watt UV light to cure it.
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